Larry Grayson was one of Britain's most popular entertainers, of whom it could genuinely be said that fame, which he gained relatively late in life, did not change him one whit. He was devoted to his adopted home town of Nuneaton in Warwickshire, and lived there for most of his life.

His early years were spent performing with a drag act in working men's clubs all over the Midlands. Then in 1971, he was seen performing as a stand-up comedian in London by Michael Grade, then an entertainments promoter. Grade offered Larry a six-minute slot at the London Palladium, and the rest, as they say, is history.

In this profile of the entertainer, Jim Lee (Nuneaton-born and bred himself) recalls a comedian whose gently camp and inoffensive humour delighted audiences of all ages.